Hoeing and chopping apparatus.



R. J. BLANKENSTEIN.

HOEING AND CHOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IIILY I I9Is.

Patent@ Apr. 8,1919.

R. I. BLANKENSTEIN.

HoElNG AND cHoPPlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1UL YI.I9I8.

Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I .7V VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

R. J. BLANKENSTEIN.

HOEING AND CHOPPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Jun/1.1913.

` Patented Apr. 8,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENZR.

zTToRAfEXl JUNTTED sTATEs PATENT oFFICE,

Y 'RICHARD 1J. 'BLANKENSTEIN or CLEBURNE, TEXAS, As'sIGNonl-or onli-FOURTH To f WILLIAM H. BAADE, vor Waco, TEXAS. 1

T all whom t may Concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J .BLANKnN- STEIN, a. citizen of theUnited States, residing at Cleburne, in the county of Johnson andl State of Texas, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hoeing and Chopping Apparatus, ofk which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to combined chopping and hoeing apparatuses.

The invention contemplates an apparatus which may be mounted on a cultivator frame moved laterally with the gang. One of the main features of the machine is an automatic lrelease and operating means which includes a tripping device carried in the path ofthe plants and operated thereby to release thejoperating means so as to chop out the plants at intervals. The chopping hoes are arranged to clean out the row but leave a plant standing after each operation. By changing-'the hoev the row may be chopped or cleaned out close around the plant.

In carrying out theinvention a frame is mounted on supports transversely of a cultivator frame so that the frame mayrmove laterally when at-tached to the gangs. A pair of transversely. swinging members are pivoted Vin the frame and vertically adjustable therein. Elements are provided'for swinging or oscillating the members so that tools carried ontheir ends will coperate. To do this the members must lbe swung so that one ofthe tools reaches .the center of the row and starts its return movementbefore the tool arrives at the center. The tools are pivoted on the bottom of the members so as to be carried to the center of the row and .then depressed to engage in the soil. The elements are driven from the ground wheels of the cultivator and a clutch :device is interposed,vnormally interrupting the transmission of motion. A tripping device is carried in thepath of the plants and is sensitive enough to be operated when striking the same. This tripping device releases the clutch and causes the operating members toI porform one operation after which the clutch is again disengaged.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the'following specication and by reference 'to the accompanying drawings, in jwhich an example of the invention is illustrated, and wherein- Figure*` 1 is a longitudinal vertical sec- Specication of Letters vPatentl f HOEING AND cHorPI-NG APPARATUS. 'f

Patented Apr. 8,v 1919.

Applicationvled July 1, 1918.L Serial No. 242,740.

tional view'of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical sectional view taken on the linefQL-QofFig 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a detail viewof part of clutch operating means,'

Fig. 5 is a' sectional detailviewl of same,

Fig.y G is a sectional 'detail ofthe gear sleeve mounting, Y

Fig. '7 is a'plan viewof one of the hoes,

Fig. `8 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same, and A Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the tripping arm and its housing. y

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the ground wheels oa cultivator and 2 the side bars of the same. A

In applying my attachment I mount a pair of rails transversely of the cultivator with their ends fastened on said bars. Between thefrails a frame et is hung on wheels 5f Vwhich* rest on the rails. The frame depends below the bars andmay slide laterally ory transversely of the cultivator. In the rear wall yofthe frame a vertical slide '6 is confined and within this slide la block 7 is arranged to slide vertically. This block is pivoted to the Vcenter of a yoke 8 extending transversely of the cultivator and having adjustable action witheollans QaSt'ened on tlie beams 1,0 of the` gangs. It will beseenthat if the gangsmove'vertically'the yoke 8 may also move vertically and when the gangs move laterally in following vthe row the frame' 1 is also.' moved laterally so that its center is over the row.

v In the front wall of the `frafne a vertical slide 11 is kmounted and ,with theI slide 6 suipports theY ,ends of '1a/bar 12whichis yfastened. `to the lower ends of links` 13. The links 13 .are pivoted at; their npper ends to opposite sideso a lever 14 lhavir'ig itsforwerdende pivoted in'an ,extension 15 of the trameI '11. t The lever g extends rearwardly andkca'rriesa pinion 161 whi'ehis engaged by aspring pressed locking plunger 17. ,The pinion meshes, withY a A.vertical rack bar 18 slidablelthrough the lever, saidA bar extending down through a bar 12.

' Operating fmembers depend ,on each side of the frameiandhave their upper Aends curvedwinwardand ed onwthe bai' 1'2. 1t win resetear aa.1v;er14s ros i f stantially vthe same'time.

swung the bar 12 will be raised and lowered,

guide frame 20 is carried "by the frame 4y and receives sliding blocks 2l carrying transverse pins 22 rwhichalso pass through vertical slots 23 in the members r19. Within theframe 20 at the center of the frame 4'is mounted a pair oflscroll gears 24 and 25 respectively. As shown in detail in Fig. 6 gear l25 is mountedon ya lshaft 26 while the gear 24 is mountedo'n a sleeve 27k which is rotatively confinedl on' the shaft 26. 'By this arrangement the gears 24 and 25 may revolve independently. `Companion scroll gears 24` and 25 mesh with the gears 24 and respectively and areloose on a shaft 28 suitably supportedunder the frame 20.

` The sleeve 27 has fixed on its outer end a disk while a similar disk 30 is ymounted onl the end of theshlaft 26. yThese disks transn'iit reciprocating motion by means Vof pitmen 31 to the pins 22 whereby the members 19 are swung laterally.y By the scroll gears a regular movement may, be had and the gears are soarranged and timed that one of the members 19 will rea-ch the limit of its inward stroke kand start its return stroke prior to the time at which' the otherv member arrivesat the limit of nits inward stroke, although both members will reach the` limit of their outward stroke at subn On theshaft 26 between the disk 30 Land the frame 4 an eccentric 32 is fastened and has pivoted connection by means of a link 88 with the lower endofthe bar 18. Thus when the gear 24 and25 are revolved not only will the members19 be swung laterally b ut they will also beI movedvertically during the same time. This will impart to the lower ends of the members 19. a `motion simulating the natural hoeing motion of' a man inhoeing a row of plants.. l v

:The gears A24 and 25 are fastened together and loosely confined on theshaft 2 8. These gears have a common clutch hub 34 as shown in detail in F ig. 5. .The shaft 28 extends through the front ywall-of the frame. 4 and has fixed on its projecting end a pinion 35 which is drivengby al gear 36l positioned thereunder fand mounted on a shaft 37 extendingjthrough the frame 4 and carrying a beveled pinion 5 8 on its rear end which is driven bya beveled gear39.y As shown in Fig. 3 the ge'ar39 is mounted on a shaft 40 which is splined. in a sleeve 41v attached to a drive shaft 42, supported on the cultivater yframe and carrying a pinion 43 driven by av gear 4,4,wh1chl in turn 1s driven by one ofthe wheels 1.. It Will be seen that when 'j the cultivator is lmoving the shafts 28 and 37 will be constantly rotated. 1 In order to transmit motion to the hub 34 a `clutch collar engagement with the hub by a coiled spring 46 which is seated in a bearing block 47 Yas shown in Fig. 5. A cam 48 is mounted on the periphery ofthe disk 29 and a yoke lever 49 is supported by a loose collar 50 on the shaft 37 so that the upper lendof vthe lever is in the path of the cam. Vhen the disk 29 has "completed a revolution the cam will engage the lever 49 and swing the same to one side. The lever being in engagement with the collar 45 will force the same toward the block 47 against. the tension of the spring 46 and said collar will pass under the end of a latch 51 which is mounted on the part 47. By tripping this latch the collar is released so that the spring may force it into engagement with the clutch hub 34. From' the foregoing it is apparent that whenever the latch 51 is released the clutch collar45 will engage the hub 34 and the shaft 26 ro-y tated kwhereby the mem-bers 19 are swung, but after the members have completed one full movement and the disk 29 has completed a revolution the cam 48 will operate the lever 49 and disconnect the clutch.

It is obvious that various means might be used for tripping the latch 51,'but I prefer to do it automatically and to this end pivot on the block 47 a lever 52 which has connection with the reduced end of the latch 51 as is shown in Fig. 5. The lever 52 projects laterally, as is shown iny Fig. 4, and is revolved when the part 47 is revolved. yF or swinging the lever 52 and tripping thelatch limount in the front wall of the frame 4 a pair of spring pressed pins 53 whichmay be projected rearward into the path of the lever 52. kThese pins are engaged by hooks 54 which have their rear ends pivoted to the upper end-of a yoke 55 pivoted in the frame 4. A flexible connection 56 is attached to the yoke and extends down through a pipe 57 and mounted on the side of a hanger 58. The hanger is disposed at one side of the frame 4 and carries a housing 59 directed laterally and inwardly toward the row. The housing as is shown in Fig. 9 has pivoted therein a horizontal tripping arm 60. The arm proj ccts from the inner end of the housingwover the row and -in the path of the plants. Then the arm engages a plant it 1s swung, and having its rear end attached to the connection 56 pulls the latter whereby the yoke is swung and the pins 53 projected intothe path of the lever 52.

On the lower end of each member 19 a rocker 61 is pivoted intermediate its ends and'has its outer ends attached to the lower end of a coiled spring 62 which is supported by alug `63. The spring tends to pull the outer end of the rocker upward andthrow its inner end downward. An elongated right-angularfhoe blade 64 is fastened on the inner end of the rocker, said blade having its length longitudinally to the cultivator. Normally the rocker is held level, as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2, and in this position the hoe blade is carried inward and past the center of the row. Arriving here the rocker is released permitting the spring to throw the hoe blade into the ground so that when the arm 19 is returned outward a hoeing action will be had. For holding each rocker arm level I provide a rod` mounted on the inner side of its member19 and pivotally connected with the rocker at its lower end. Each rod 65 is bent at its upper end so as to engage an angular releasing lever 66 pivoted on the member 19 and extending down the outer side thereof. The lower end of each lever 66 is engaged by a spring pressed bell crank rlatch lever 67 mounted on the member 19 and having its inner end projecting toward the frame l. When one of the members 19 approaches the inner limit of its stroke its lever 67 will engage the frame 4 and thus be swung whereby the lower end of the spring 62 will then be free to operate the rocker 61. When a member 19 approaches the outer limit of its stroke its lever 66- will engage the end of the frame 20 and thus be swung and forced under the latch 67 where- 30 b y the rocker is operated and the hoe blade raised.

Each hoe blade has a gap 70 at its center. By leaving this gap open any plants standing within the same when the blade passes across the row will not be disturbed but the blade on each side thereof will chop out the row. In order to cultivate and chop close to a plant an adjustable hoe section 71 may be inserted in the gap and normally pressed forward by a spring 72 as 1s shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The section 71 has a vertical recess 73 at its center, but its cutting edge is continuous. The spring is very sensitive so that when the hoe is swung inward and the plant is received within the recess 7 3 or engaged by the section, the latter will yield and not injure the plant; at the same time the hoe blade portions will pass the plant and drop into the soil when the rocker is released. By this arrangement weeds growing close up to the plants will be removed and the row will be thoroughly cleaned. By means of the scroll gears the first hoe blade will reach the plant and complete its operation before the second blade approaches.

What I claim, is:

l. In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame, operating members movable transversely and vertically of the frame, means for moving the members vertically, means for moving the members transversely operating at the same time as Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the kswinging 4'and hoes carried on the lower ends of the the first named means, a common means of operation for the moving means'normally inoperative, and an automatic krelease for setting the common operating means in motion, and tools on the operating members.

t In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame, operating members movable transversely and vertically of the frame, means for moving the members vertically, means operating at the same time for moving the members transversely, a common operating means for the moving means normally inoperative, and a plant controlled release for setting the common operating means in motion, and tools mounted on the lower ends of the operating members.

In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame, vertically and transversely moving operating members mounted in the frame, and means for moving said members, in combination with rockers mounted on the lower ends of the members, hoes carried by the rockers normally above the ground, means for holding the rockers elevated, automatically tripped devices carried bythe members for. releasing the rocker holding means, and springs attached to the rockers for swinging the same when released.

In an apparatus of the character described, a supporting frame, swinging operating members mounted in the frame, and

hoes mounted on the lower ends of the members, in combination with scroll gears connected separately with each member for operating one of the members'in advance of the other. l

5. In an apparatus of the characterdescribed, a supporting frame, transversely members mounted in the frame,

members, in combination with means for swinging the members inward from a given limit at the same time and advancing one of the members whereby it completes its work before the hoe of the other member reaches a plant.

6. In an apparatus of the scribe a supporting frame, transversely swinging members mounted in the frame, and hoes carried on the lower ends of the members, yin combination with means for swinging the members inward from a given limit at the same time and advancing one of the members whereby it completes its work before the hoes of the other member reach the plant, said swinging means being normally idle, and a releasing device operated by contact with the vplants for setting the swinging means in motion.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

RICHARD J. BLANKEN STEIN Commissioner of Patents,

character de- Wuhington, D. 6." 

